Have you ever noticed that there are some speakers that are act very differently when they are off stage than when they are on stage? When off stage they are lively and interesting and just fun to talk with—you can’t wait to hear their presentation. …
When it comes to speaking, it’s so important to remember to “OWN YOUR STAGE!” So what do I mean by that? Well that phrase could have many meanings for speakers—but for this blog post I’m specifically referring to how you set up the room for…
If you happen to take a presentation skills class from me, you will often hear me mention the importance of having a pre-presentation routine. Why? Well, it’s been my experience that folks that have a regular pre-presentation routine tend to be more successful when they…
As mentioned in a prior blog post, there are generally three components to how we communicate with others—our BODY LANGUAGE, our VOICE, and our WORDS. We have already focused on the critical BODY LANGUAGE component of Eye Contact. Let’s now shift the focus to “how…
This article, quoting Don Franceschi, originally appeared on TollFreeForwarding.com. If you find the idea of standing in front of a crowd, presenting an idea or taking part in a discussion more than a little daunting, don’t worry. Leading a panel or speaking at a…
There are many four-word phrases that I hate hearing — “The car sounds funny.” “Your flight’s been delayed.” “Are you sitting down?” “The IRS just called.” When it comes to public speaking, the most dangerous four-word phrase is “I can wing it.” Ugh! I’ve seen…
~ Public Speaking ~ A short poem by Don Franceschi Rapid breathing… Rapid beating… Body shaking… Voice is quaking… Stomach twirling… Feel like hurling… Face beet red… Ache in head… I want to cry… I think I’ll die! Have you ever experienced any of these…
There are generally three components to how we communicate with others. The first component is our WORDS—what we are saying. The second component is our VOICE—how we are saying our words. The third component is our BODY LANGUAGE—what our “non-verbal” communication is conveying. You might…
In Funny Business — Part 1, I outlined some reasons why it is important to include humor in a presentation. (The main reason being that humor enhances learning.) There’s a right way and a wrong way to include humor, and since we have already went…
“Have you ever attended an awful presentation? Was it YOUR presentation?” Those are the opening lines I use when I am conducting presentation skills training. Do they result in folks rolling around the ground laughing uncontrollably? No. (Darn it!) Do they usually “break the tension”…
When I became a supervisor for the first time many years ago — I was bombarded with a lot of advice. Some of it was valuable, and some of it wasn’t. Two pieces of advice that I really found useful were: PICK YOUR BATTLES —…